Tag Archives: suffrage movement

Feminist theology and scholarship are now widespread. Yet they still have power both to inspire and unsettle. How much more so was this true a hundred years or so ago?! Lacking the substantial range and depth of feminist scholarship now … Continue reading →

Some things, such as sexuality and women’s ordination, were steered clear of by most first-wave Christian feminists. Even when they supported changes, most held back, in the interests of nurturing more conservative support for issues which were more ‘practical politics’ … Continue reading →

A prominent feature of first-wave feminism was its spectacle, once it had the courage to break into public space. A striking aspect was the frequent appearance in demonstrations of suffragists dressed as figures such as Joan of Arc, complete with … Continue reading →

Sometimes a circuit breaker is needed to change the course of history, even in a great movement full of an immense variety of courage, intelligence and virtues. For the women’s suffrage movement, such a catalyst was Emmeline Pankhurst. If the … Continue reading →

Some of the most poignant and harrowing accounts of suffragette activity and suffering are found in the book Prisons and Prisoners, written by Constance Lytton and published in 1914. It is witness to a remarkable gentle and compassionate woman who, … Continue reading →

In some ways, first-wave Christian feminism was a radical continuation of the Victorian ‘woman’s mission’. Yet it also marked a break from it with a new sense of self and consciousness. For, even at the end of the 19th century, … Continue reading →

Without the involvement of religious people, it is hard to see how first-wave feminism could have advanced. It owed so much to religious motivation and networks and also needed religious support in order to break through into quarters which were … Continue reading →